The Darkest Cure
by Nightowl01
Summary: This is a dream that I've been thinking about. This is my first publish, so don't be too hash in the reviews please. Lakena, the character, is going to show up in a lot of stories that I put up here. She'll be younger or the age she is now.
1. Chapter 1: A Close Encounter

Lakena fingered the Rosario around her neck. The cemetery was dark and eerie. She looked at Cameo, who stood next to her.

They were here for Hunters. Anya, Goddess of Anarchy, had warned them of their enemy's whereabouts. She lived with the Lords of the Underworld, being thought of as angels and demons. The few who had deemed them demonic were unknowingly right.

Lucien, Keeper of Death, was her twin brother. Maddox, Keeper of Violence; Reyes, Keeper of Pain; Paris, Keeper of Promiscuity; Torin, Keeper of Disease, and Aeron, Keeper of Wrath. Theses men were her warriors; her brothers. They were immortal warriors, doomed to house demons even _Hell_ would not keep.

But Lakena was a different story. She was immortal as well, but why she was doomed to stay with them, no one knew. She should have died thousands of years ago, during the Grecian Wars, but she did not. Like Cameo, she was a warrior, and she felt as cursed as the Mistress Misery. Lakena's demon was unknown; close to Death, but also close to Pain. Her Wrath was not taken lightly, and she fought like Violence to control it. She felt as though she had a bit of every demon in Budapest, save Disease and _most_ of Promiscuity.

She held powers like Lucien, but they were not like Death's. She could control lightning and electricity, even fire. In the beginning, like most of the Lords, she was not capable of having a tight reign over her abilities. Those were the dark days; destruction and pain were constant in their lives.

Her power for lightning extended to electricity. She was even able to generate her own electric current, and use it has a protective barrier on her skin, but she did not do it often. Only when she fought Hunters and sparred with the others. Only when she was provoked, her anger over-powering her, did she lose control. Electric currents, lightning, and fire were her last resorts in a fight.

Lakena looked around again, and tugged on the Rosario she wore. The Rosario sealed her greatest power: her vampirism. Somehow while being inhabited by partials of multiple demons; she was cursed with the poison of a vampire's blood and spirit. The spirit died away, but her body used the blood to maintain life. This was why she depended on blood more than the others. In this state, her powers become enhanced and her chances for death were nil.

Aeron, Keeper of Wrath, was the only one who could remove the Rosario. None of them knew why, but he was the only one, and she also feeds off his blood. She also ate human food most of the time, but every now and then, she bit someone. Of course, whether Aeron was around or not, Paris always offered himself up as a "sacrifice for others' well-immortal-being." She shook her head, realizing she had stood in the same spot for a while now.

"Lakena?" Cameo called. Misery seeped through her sad voice, making her heart clench.

The others were ahead of her, a couple of feet away. Sabin, Keeper of Doubt, scanned the area, and then turned his gaze on her. Gideon, Keeper of Lies, stood next to him with Lucien and Amun. Aeron stepped forward.

"What's wrong, Lakena?" he asked her.

"Nothing." her voice seemed a bit distant. Reyes and Paris stood behind Lucien, daggers and swords gripped in their hands. Lucien held a 9 millimeter.

"What's she doing?" Sabin said. He had never seen the Rosario before.

"Nothing." she repeated, closing the distance between her and Aeron, but she sidestepped him. She trudged over the grass, and stepped over tombstones. Aeron followed her until she came to stand beside Cameo. He came up behind her but passed her, and their fingers interlocked for two seconds, max. Lakena let him go stand between Sabin and Lucien.

The graveyard was quiet, but the night was clear of sound. Lucien had told them where their traps were, using a map. They avoided each one.

"Kane. Torin. Come in, over." Sabin said into the walkie-talkie he held in his hand.

Static. Lucien sighed.

"Where are they?" Lakena asked. Paris shook his blonde head.

"I don't like this, Lucy."

"Neither do I." Reyes put in.

"Love it." They ignored Gideon.

One second, the world was silent.

"Aeron, someth-" The next, Lakena was cut off by a large _boom!_ A grenade had blown up behind Lakena and Cameo. There seemed to be a duel to see whose scream was more bloodcurdling.


	2. Chapter 2: A Discovery

**_Chapter 2: A Discovery_**

Lucien and the others were quiet when they returned to the fortress. On the way home they found out that Kane had been taken by the Hunters. They never saw Torin. Amun was silent still, as he leaned Gideon against the wall.

Lucien watched Maddox run down the steps, only wearing black pants. He looked like he had just woken up. The Keeper of Death wiped a sooted hand over and even more sooted face. His warriors were injured; Aeron was shouting foul words and going crazy over Lakena, and the human girl and her family. Lakena was in an even more critical condition than the rest of them.

A grenade had exploded behind her and Cameo, although the Keeper of Misery had been farther away.

_Only the left side of her face was burned. _

Lakena's whole back had been burned. Her shirt, what hadn't been melted into her back had been burned off. But Lucien wasn't concerned. He could feel her spirit; more there than ever before. Lucien knew they had to get the shrapnel and metal out of her back, or she could die. She would die, but if she did heal, then she would be weakened by the metal. He knew this for a fact.

"What happened?" Maddox asked. Paris grunted on the couch. He was lying on his back, and you could plainly see the bone of his forearm breaking skin.

"We were bombed." Lucien answered his brother's question as Aeron let out a string of curses.

"By Hunters?" Reyes nodded. He pulled off the melting boots on his feet. Pain smiled. Blistered bubbled on his feet as he slid out of the chair and sat next to Lakena.

Maddox moved over to Lucien. His expression was calm, but his eyes were clouded with pain and worry. It was as if Death itself were in pain. A very feminine gasped was heard. Maddox whirled around; Ashlyn stood at the top of the steps. His violet eyes weere wide as he quickly moved up the steps to block the warriors' view of her.

"So the human is yours." Sabin eyed him before looking at Lucien.

"Ashlyn," Maddox said softly as he turned to face her. "Please go get some towels." She nodded and disappeared down the hall.

Aeron raked a hand over his face a number of times. They would have to lock him up soon.

"Where's Torin?" Lucien shook his head, not knowing the answer to Maddox's question. Reyes shook his head as well, gently grabbing Lakena's hand.

"Lucien..." Reyes said in a warning tone, before Lakena let out a shrill cry of pain.

"Dammit," Lucien had hoped that she wouldn't wake up this soon. He'd hoped to extract the metal from her back and clean the wound so she wouldn't scar. But that wasn't an option now. They had no choice but to get the metal out whiile she was awake.

Lakena could heal within minutes, but the metal wouldn't let her heal without leaving some type of permanent damage.

Pain and Death would stay by her sides until she could heal. Lucien could feel her growing weak, but he didn't know why. Lucien took a deep breathe, closed his eyes, and slipped into the spirit world, taking his body with him. He stared at his sister's body, wanting to know what and how she was feeling. Spirit wise, Lakena's emotions were strong. He mostly saw white around her, which meant she was afraid. He could only assume that she was afraid of Death. Lucien didn't want to judge his sister's soul, not while she was in this condition. But he knew that it was only fair to do so, no matter how much he didn't want to.

_What am I doing?_ He thought. Why was he already judging her? She wasn't even dead!

_Yet._

His demon felt sad for her, he knew it. Lucien shook away his and the demon's feelings and concentrated on Lakena. He saw gray- guilt.

_What did she have to be guilty for?_

_Try _who. The demon spoke softly.

_What?_ Lucien returned to the living.

"What did it mean by 'who'?" he muttered.

"What?" Sabin looked at him. Lakena moaned in pain.

"Nothing," said Death, shaking his head. "We need to get the metal out of her back before we leave."

"Before we leave?" Paris echoed from the couch and grunt when he pushed the bone of his forearm back into place. It was going to heal soon enough, in a matter of minutes, maybe. Lucien nodded.

"We're going after Pandora's box."


	3. Chapter 3: The Rescue

**_Chapter 3: The Rescue_**

Torin wheezed as he laid on the floor, blood pooling around him.

_Ambushed!_ His mind reeled and shouted. _How did this happen?_

Torin knew. Hunters ambushed both him, and Kane, Keeper of Disaster. The two of them had gone to the cemetery to scope things out. He'd known something terrible would happen, he'd been waiting for it, but this? Being ambushed by Hunters was not on the list of disasters he'd come up with.

Torin couldn't blame Kane for this one; none of them could. Nothing this bad had happened before, expect for Baden. That was bad, and it wasn't even Kane's demon's fault.

How could they have been _ambushed_ by those damned Hunters?

He wheezed again as he heard footsteps down the hallway. He couldn't breath right; couldn't call for help.

"Torin!" a voice called. It was Maddox!

A second later, Violence rushed into the room, wearing only his black boxers. Torin reached for Maddox with a bloody gloved hand.

"Don't worry, buddy," he said as he lifted Torin from the floor and layed him on the bed. "You'll be fine, I promise."

Torin made the 'k' sound, trying to say Kane's name. It was all the Keeper of Disease could manage. He wheezed again and grabbed Maddox's arm. He was scared, that much Maddox knew and could see in his eyes.

"Sleep, Torin. I'll get help." Maddox's voice drifted away and the world turned to darkness.

((I hadn't realized how short this was until i typed it up1 I'm sorry if you're disappointed. there'll be another chapter up soon!))


	4. Chapter 4: Pain Killers

**_Chapter 4: Pain Killers_**

The pain was excruciating. Every time Lakena took in a breath, each movement she made, however small made her body shiver in pain. She'd screamed her head off when she'd been layed out on the floor, and again, when Lucien flashed her upstairs.

Aeron stayed as long as he could, but Sabin, Paris, and Gideon had been forced to lock him in one of the cells of the dungeon. Cameo sat in a chair next to the bed as Lucien tore away the burned fabric from his sister's back. Cameo helped by removing her dagger, sword, and boots.

Lakena groaned and started to cry. Reyes grabbed her hand as he sat opposite Cameo.

"Lucien, are we going to put her out?" Death paused in his cutting and tearing. He hadn't thought about it.

"Can we?"

"I should have a few darts left," Paris replied. Whenever Lakena was out of control with bloodlust, or when she couldn't control whatever demon resided inside of her, Paris pumped her with horse tranquilizer darts. Three to four usually did the job of knocking her out long enough for the demon to crawl back into whatever hole it crawled out of, but on the really bad days, 6 were needed. A shot full of tranquilizer was in each appropriate room, just in case.

"Go get them," Reyes told him. Promiscuity nodded and didn't protest the command and quickly returned with a shotgun in hand. Sabin had followed him in. Doubt's gaze flickered from Death to Promiscuity to the unknown demon.

"What's going on?" he said to no one in particular.

"Paris, just give her one." Paris nodded in response and emptied the shotgun of tranquilizer darts.

"What is he doing?"

"This is so she will not be in pain. We need to get the metal out of her back so she can heal properly." Sabin cocked his head to the side.

"I like the sound of that," Gideon said as he entered the room.

"She might die." Cameo's voice was sadder than usual, and they all wanted to shoot each other; they thought of it as mercy killings. Lakena whimpered, and Cameo took her hand.

"We have to take a chance, damn it," Lucien said. Paris held the dart in one hand and smoothed the hair from Lakena's face with the other.

"Kena, I'm going to stick you with this dart, okay honey? I promise it won't hurt that much. It'll just make you go to sleep."

"It hurts so bad. Kill me…" Lakena's voice was small and weak as she spoke. Her breathing was fast and shallow from the pain. Sabin cringed at the pain her voice. Gods, Reyes would be soaking up all the pain, and his demon would be sated. At the moment, Kena seemed to be possessed by Pain and Misery's voice.

"Honey, it will make you go to sleep. Soon you won't be in pain anymore. I promise. Just go to sleep, pretty girl," Paris cooed.

"Nooo… Hurts too much…" Lucien sighed and nodded. Paris talked to Lakena as he pushed the dart into her arm, tapping the vein. With the power of Paris' voice and the tranquilizer, Lakena's eyes began to close. Two seconds later and she looked to be asleep, but with a furrowed brow and a set to her face.

_Even in sleep, she could feel the pain,_ said Reyes' demon. He shook his head.

_You have what you wanted, now leave the poor woman be,_ he thought.

"Don't worry, Kena. You'll be good as new when you wake up," Cameo said.


	5. Chapter 5: Flashback

**I just wanted to say thanks for reading, and I'm seriously sorry about how short the last three chapters have been. I didn't realize they were that short until I had published them. Again, thanks for continuing to read my stories, and there will be more in the future, I promise!**

**Love,  
Nightowl01 (or to some of you, if not all, Taylor.)**

* * *

**_Chapter 5: Flashback_**

The darkness was all-consuming. Lakena swan through dark seas and sank deeper into the darkness. A face swam past her line of vision, and she furrowed her brow. She saw green eyes and what seemed like a gray streak of hair.

"Torin!" she called to it. His body seemed to materialize in front of her. Only his pale face and his silver hair could be seen. His hands and arms were covered in his custom-made black gloves, and, of course, he wore full black.

He gave her a soft smile and stepped toward her. To her, he glided forward as if his feet weren't even toughing the ground, wherever it was. She herself felt weightless, like a feather. Looking down at herself, Lakena gasped. She wore a deep blue gown that trailed behind her like a river. Lakena looked up to see Torin reaching for her, even though he still stood a few feet away.

Torin's green eyes glowed just as his face was illuminated with a happy smile. _She_ made him smile like that. Lakena smiled back, and suddenly felt like she was being pulled. Pulled towards Torin. His silver hair glowed like his handsome face and green eyes.

Torin glowed like the moon.. And Lakena was being pulled towards him like the tide. _So I must be his ocean,_ she thought.

The closer she got to him, the more he glowed and the bigger his smile became. When she was standing in front of him, she leaned in close to him.

"Lakena…" She looked up at him because of how alluring his voice was. His breathe brushed her cheek, making her shiver; it was cold. She'd somehow ended up pressed against his body, so he'd felt her shake. His brow furrowed, but then that smile spread over his face again in an instant. That's when she saw the fangs. And the bite mark.

"Oh, Torin who-"

"Do you not remember that night? That first night when you bit me?" The darkness had gone silent. Torin ran his fingers over her arms, leaving a path of electric warmth.

Lakena saw the fangs as he smiled again and she stared, wide-eyed.

"Oh my Gods…." She gasped.

"What's wrong?" Torin repeated. "Do you not remember the night you bit me? The night we screamed each other's names in ecstasy? The night _you cured me_?" Torin's brow furrowed for a second time.

Oh, she remembered that night like it had happened before the sun rose that morning. She remembered it _clearly…_


	6. Chapter 6: Provoking Bloodlust

_**Chapter 6: Provoking Bloodlust**_

Lakena stirred in her sleep. It had been a long night, what with dealing with the Hunters and Maddox's woman. Ashlyn was a pretty human with very light brown hair and eyes to match. But Lakena didn't trust herself around the woman, and Violence would kill her if she lost control. Even with Sabin's demon, there was no doubt about that.

A grunt came from behind her, and Lakena turned in the bed to see a massively tattooed chest. Heat ran through her, and she stiffened. Aeron's arms wrapped around her, and she immediately relaxed as she was pressed against his body. He sighed in his sleep, and Lakena half-smiled to herself. This was really the only time they had peace, or at least, they could pretend. Even this hour of night was open to attacks from Hunters; they obviously hadn't managed to factor in hours needed for sleep.

A knock came from the other side of the door, and neither of them moved. A couple of minutes passed, and the knock was repeated. Sighing, Lakena managed to slip out from Aeron's sleepy bear-hug and grabbed one of the shirts on the floor. She tugged on the large shirt; she realized how big Aeron was compared to her. She had to look like some sort of child.

Lakena shook of the feeling of being shrunk like those kids in that one movie Reyes managed to find and make them watch, and slowly moved to the door. She stood for a second, sensing the person on the other side of the door wasn't hostile. Lakena opened the door, and her eyes widened in surprise. Torin was standing in front of her.

"Torin?" she said. "What's wrong? Are there any Hunters?" she asked him, even though she felt no hostile vibes in the hallway.

"Well, no, I could see no Hunter disturbance on the monitors..." he told her, in a slightly vague answer. _Well, that's not like him at all,_ she thought. His green eyes seemed to take her in as he looked her figure up and down.

"Alright then. What... Do you want, exactly?" she asked him bluntly.

"Well, can I talk to Aeron? Is he even awake?" His sharp gaze flickered past her. Lakena turned back to look at Aeron. His tattoos were in plain sight; because of them, women normally gave Aeron a wide birth, as they did Lucien. He usually got some of Paris' left over women if they managed to find a Lord, other than Torin, since he never really left the fortress. She turned back to the man in question. Torin was... _beautiful._

He looked like a wingless angel of Death as he stood in front of her.

Lakena felt her eyes widen and she shook her head. That was the bloodlust talking. She wasn't sure hoe she was attracted to him, but she was. It was the effect she had on people, humans and immortals alike: they were attracted to her physically, and on a deeper level; one that was controlled by a more impulsive part of the body. She figured the Lords (at least the ones in Budapest) had built up a slight immunity to the alluring atmosphere around her. Lakena hadn't bitten anyone in days... Or was it weeks?

The past few days or weeks had been going by in a blur as she fought off the hunger. There were more important things to be done; what with Ashlyn and the Hunters showing up, and the search for Pandora's box... Once again, for the umpteenth time in the past weeks, she fought off the hunger. There were the women Lucien had locked in his room, Danika and the others... Her mouth watered.

"Lakena?" She jumped.

"Wha- I'm sorry." She looked at him. "Aeron's asleep..."

"Well, that's all right. I wanted to speak to you anyways... Come on," Torin said. She cocked her head to the side.

"Oh... Where are we going?" she asked him, as she looked back at Aeron before closing the door behind her.

"I just need to show you something," he told her. The answer was vague, but she nodded and followed him anyway. He silently led her to his room, and closed the door behind once she walked in.

Lakena's eyes went immediately to all the computer screens that occupied the wall adjacent to the door. They hummed in unison; the noise annoying at first, but she got used to it, with her acute hearing.

"How the hell do you sleep with all this noise?" she asked him, looking at the monitors, then Torin. He shrugged.

"Got used to it," he told her simply, making it sound like he had something else on his mind, like he had an ulterior motive. Which he did. "I've got something to tell you." He had stepped up behind her as she gazed at the monitor screen, and she whirled around to face him.

"You sound serious." She looked up at him. Even though she and Cameo were immortal, they were either an inch or three shorter than the Lords. "Are you okay?" he nodded, and quickly glanced down at the switchblade in his hand. It was plainly visible. He looked down at her with big green eyes.

"I've seen what happens to people after you bite them. Man or woman, they act like they've just been with Paris..." Lakena nodded slowly, eyed the blade, and then took a step back from him.

"Yes, but it's the venom on my fangs. They cause the endorphins in the brain, and put the pituitary- Wait. What are you doing with that switchblade?" she asked quickly, backing away into the far corner.

"I should say that's obvious, Kena. I noticed how you haven't had any blood in the past couple of weeks..."

_Not good. _Lakena thought. _Not good at all. How did he know? Is it that obvious? How di- _She watched as Torin raised the blade to his neck.

He was _Disease_! All of things, as much as she wanted to now, Torin knew he should be the last person Lakena should bite. Being Disease meant you barred yourself from any human relationships; you couldn't stand being the one to unintentionally kill thousand because of a soft, single touch. He'd done that before, and he'd learned his lesson... But Lakena was hungry, he'd seen the way the demon purred at the mortals. But she refrained from their blood, and as a result was getting weak with hunger. She was too good for her own good.

Torin dug the blade into his neck.

"_Oh my Gods!_ Torin, you shouldn't-" She braced herself against the wall. Her body had gone rigid as her eyes closed and her nostrils flared. The scent of blood filled the room; Disease ridden or not, it smelled too damn good.

Torin winced and watched quietly as Lakena took deep breaths. He watched her as her fangs elongated, but her eyes were still closed. "Lakena?" Torin warily called her name.

She winced at the sound of her voice and groaned as she arched her back. Markings appeared on her body, slowly forming in an intricate design all over her face, and from what Torin could see of the rest of her body. Her cheeks were flushed as she opened her eyes. Torin gasped, and she moaned.

Her eyes were a scarlet, blood-red color.


End file.
